The devastating toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has contaminated at least 15,000 pounds of soil and 1.1 million gallons of water so far, Norfolk Southern said.
The staggering figures were included in a Monday update from the transportation company, which was in charge of the 151-car train that derailed on Feb. 3 and forced the evacuation of roughly 5,000 panicked residents.
Norfolk Southern didn’t elaborate on what chemicals were found in the huge amounts of contaminated soil and water.
“The material will be transported to landfills and disposal facilities that are designed to accept it safely in accordance with state and federal regulations,” the company said in a statement.
Dozens of train cars were transporting hazardous materials, including the toxic vinyl chloride, at the time of the derailment — and it resulted in what authorities called a controlled burn of the chemicals to prevent an explosion.
Exposure to vinyl chloride, a colorless gas used to make plastic, is associated with an increased risk of cancer, including liver, brain and lung cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The “majority” of the hazardous rail cars have been decontaminated and are being held on-site as the National Transportation Safety Board carries out its probe into the derailment, the company said.
“Once that is completed, the cars will be scrapped and moved off-site for disposal,” Norfolk’s statement added.
While state and federal officials have insisted that testing has shown the drinking water and air are safe, residents have expressed fears of contamination and some have even reported falling ill already.
Pets and wildlife, including an estimated 3,500 fish, have already reportedly been found dead in the wake of the derailment, which has sparked concern about the potential health effects on humans.
The impact of the derailment on the local environment, including the waterways that lead into the Ohio River, is also under investigation.
Norfolk said pumps have been placed upstream in a bid to reroute the Sulphur Run stream around the toxic site.
“The affected portion of Sulphur Run has been dammed to protect water downstream. Environmental teams are treating the impacted portions of Sulphur Run with booms, aeration, and carbon filtration units,” the company said.
“Those teams are also working with stream experts to collect soil and groundwater samples to develop a comprehensive plan to address any contamination that remains in the stream banks and sediment.”
